How Do I Activate My New iPhone?

Angelo Ilumba Senior Writer

Updated 15 December 2023

Contents

In this guide:

Activating a New iPhone from a Carrier
Activating a New iPhone That is Not Purchased Directly from a Carrier
What If My Phone Isn't Activating?
Buy a New iPhone

In nearly all cases, activating a new iPhone happens on the initial setup right after you turn on the phone. You'll be carefully walked through steps to set up your brand-new device, and before you know it, you'll have an activated iPhone in your hands. However, there are wrinkles in the process that some people might face when activating a new iPhone.

We'll briefly go over the process of activating a new iPhone, give you some tips to follow before you get started, and help you troubleshoot issues you might face.

Activating a new iPhone purchased from a carrier

If you buy your new iPhone directly from a carrier, that carrier will likely have sent you the new iPhone ready to turn on, activate, and set up.

If this is the case, simply turn on the iPhone and follow the prompts. Apple walks you very carefully through the steps to set up and activate your new iPhone, so we'll refrain from breaking down the entire process, but keep these few tips in mind before setting up your new iPhone.

If you are going to set up and transfer data using your old iPhone, make sure that it has the latest iOS update installed and back up the phone before you start the process.
If you use the Quick Start option to transfer data from your old phone to the new iPhone, plug in both devices, as the process may drain battery power quickly.
It's best to have a Wi-Fi connection to activate and set up your new iPhone, though you may be able to do so with a cellular connection.

Activating a new iPhone not purchased from a carrier

If you don't buy your phone directly from a carrier, it might not be ready for immediate activation because it does not have a SIM or eSIM assigned to it. You'll have to transfer your eSIM or SIM over from your old phone or purchase a new plan/line and get a SIM or eSIM from your carrier.

Activating a new iPhone with eSIM

If your new phone is an iPhone XS, XR, or newer, you have the option to activate with eSIM. If you have an iPhone 14 or newer model, you can only activate it with eSIM, as these series of iPhones do not have physical SIM slots.

Fortunately, many carriers, including all the major carriers, make it very easy for you to transfer your old SIM or eSIM to your new phone when going through the initial setup process. You'll need to follow the prompts.

However, many MVNOs do not support quick eSIM transfer. You'll know that eSIM quick transfer is unavailable because you will see the option when setting up your phone. In this case, you will have to contact your carrier to get an eSIM assigned to your new iPhone and activate it. The process will likely involve the carrier sending your a QR code that you will have to scan with your new phone. Your carrier will walk you through the process.

If you are adding a new line on your iPhone, contact the carrier to get an eSIM assigned to you.

Activating an iPhone with a physical SIM

If you have an iPhone 13 series model or older, you can transfer your old phone's physical SIM card to your new iPhone. Use a SIM card removal tool to open your SIM card slot and install the SIM before turning on the new iPhone. Remember that if your older phone does not have 5G, you might need a new SIM from your carrier that can connect to its 5G network. Once connected, you can choose which network to use and turn off 5G on your iPhone to revert back to 4G LTE.

After you turn on the phone, follow the prompts to set up and activate your phone.

If you need a plan and SIM for your new iPhone, shop around for the right plan, purchase it, and request a SIM from your new carrier. Here are some great plans for your new iPhone:

#1	Visible	Visible Unlimited Data No Contract $25/mo	100%	View Plan
#2	Mint Mobile	Mint Mobile Unlimited Data No Contract $25/mo Deal: Get this plan for just $25/mo. when you switch to Mint Mobile using promo code 15OFF at checkout. Upfront payment required	81%	View Plan
#3	XFINITY Mobile	XFINITY Mobile Unlimited Data No Contract $0/mo Deal: Get a FREE 1 year of Xfinity Mobile Select Plan with Xfinity Internet required	68%	View Plan
#4	T-Mobile	T-Mobile Unlimited Data No Contract $50/mo Deal: Get up to $800 via virtual prepaid MasterCard when you bring an eligible phone, activate a new line on select plans and port-in your number and switch from select carriers	67%	View Plan
#5	US Mobile	US Mobile Unlimited Data No Contract $25/mo whistleOut Exclusive: Get this plan for only $45 for 3 months ($15/mo.) with new number activation OR $5 off per month for 6 mo. (up to 3 lines) OR 30 Days FREE Trial	45%	View Plan
#6	Verizon	Verizon Unlimited Data No Contract $70/mo $40 Upfront Deal: Get $10 off per line for 1 line via monthly promo credits over 36 months. For new customers only	31%	View Plan

What if my phone isn't activating?

If your phone isn't activating when setting it up, take these troubleshooting steps:

If you receive a "No SIM" or "Invalid SIM" error message, open the SIM tray and remove and return the SIM, making sure it is properly placed inside. Then try to restart your phone.
Check and update carrier settings by going to Settings>General>About. Select Update if prompted.
If you receive an error message stating that "activation server is temporarily available," wait a few minutes and restart your phone.
If none of the above works, connect your phone to a computer. If an alert pops up with "Set up as New" or "Restore from Backup", your phone is now successfully activated. If you get another error message, it's time to contact your carrier.

Buy a new iPhone

Activating a new iPhone is very simple in most cases, but you can only activate a new iPhone if you actually have a new iPhone. If you are ready to buy a new Apple smartphone, check out our current list of the best iPhone deals, or check out some of the offerings for the iPhone 14 here:

#1	Verizon	Verizon Unlimited Welcome Unlimited 5G speeds Verizon 5G Network in select areas with compatible devices No mobile hotspot data Outright Deal: Get $100 Verizon Gift card when you purchased this phone + $10 off this plan $55.00/mo + Taxes & Fees. Price includes AutoPay & Paperless discount. + $669.99 Upfront View Plan	$55.00/mo + Taxes & Fees. Price includes AutoPay & Paperless discount. + $669.99 Upfront	View Plan
#2	Visible	Visible $275 Visible Annual Plan Unlimited 4G LTE/5G data Verizon 5G Network in select areas with compatible devices Unlimited mobile hotspot data Outright Deal: Get this annual unlimited plan for only $275 for 12 months $275.00 Regular rate at $300/year<br>Taxes & Fees included + $629 Upfront View Plan	$275.00 Regular rate at $300/year<br>Taxes & Fees included + $629 Upfront	View Plan

Angelo Ilumba

Senior Writer

Angelo is a highly experienced writer for WhistleOut, specializing in unraveling the complexities of the mobile and tech world so that readers can easily understand what is relevant to them. Angelo has been featured on several publications such as MoneyTalksNews, Yahoo Finance, NPR and more.

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